The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-06-29
Knocking a Hole in q Rivers Bed.


About fifteen miles north OF King
wood, West Va, along The Cheat river,
can be seen some OF the most rugged
and inspiring scenery to be found any
where in West Virginia, ii not any
where in North America, east OF the
Rocky mountains. On either side OF
the river, for probably hall mile,
there is a perpendicular wall OF solid
limestone about $50 feet in height.
From the top OF these walls, or cliffs,
on the east side OF the river, the cragGy
and timbered mountain, with a slope
OF about 90 deg. looms up more than
1000 feet. Near the top OF this mount
ain has stood for unknown ages n
great rock, measuring twenty feet from
the top to bottom, and averaging
about eighteen feet in thickness. 1t
contained about 9,4S0 cubic feet OF
hard, hint-like limestone, and allowing
100 pounds to each cubic foot, the
weight OF the monster was GAS, 900
pounds or 324 tons. 1t was deter
mined by the people in the neighbor-
hood to give this rock q start down
the mountain. A tree was cut down
that stood against the stone, and the
earth dug away. A correspondent
says: / was up the mountain prob
ably twenty yards from the rock TO
get good view OF it's course from the
river, and was watching closely for
the start.
"Now she goes!" came to my ears.
and could see the top OF the great
rock going out from the mountain
now slow now faster, now a crash, and
then crashes upon crashes. The scene
presented by that rock tearing and
Numbering down the mountain can
be imagined, but it cannot be described.
II had tendency TO confound the
sense and bewilder the reason. Great
trees were torn from the earth and
hurled into the air like twigs in q
whirlwind, and the trunks OF mann
moth oaks were torn and slivered in
quick succession. On and on it went,
making u clean cut road from the
start. The mountain trembled, and
the spectators stood spellbound. The
rock gained in speed as it neared the
river, which was in view at the lower
end OF the great limestone walls. 1t
now struck the last precipice, and,
after going outward and downward
more than 200 feet it fell into the river
with roaring sound.
After the dust and leaves and flying
pieces OF limbs had settled we could
see a peculiar action of the water, but
we were too far off to discover the
cause, A walk OF more than mile
aronad, as it was next to impossible
to go straight down the mountain
from where we were, brought us to the
river, but instead of seeing the rock
we saw the water rushing from every
direction down into huge hole prob
ably thirty feet square. During the
halE hour we were there not less than
ten saw logs were drawn into the
whirl and disappeared.
1t is supposed that thecave extends
under the river, and that the weight
of the immense rock coming down
with such force and rapidity caused
the roof to giveway. Whether or not
the water will soon fill the hole up
and theriver flow on as before will de-
pend upon the extent OF the cavern
and the existence of an outlet to carry
the water from the cavern. to some
other stream, or to some other part
OF the country.
When left that district the water
was still rushing down the hole, car
rying saw logs and every other
locating substance.